Increasing concerns of the pollution of the environment has led to the need for the general public to be able to test the food and the water they drink for the presence of toxins and contaminants. This need is especially important when the food or the water has not been tested by governmental authorities; for example, fish caught by sports fisherman, or water which might be drunk on camping trips. Also, there is often a desire to test food and water when traveling in countries where quality control of contamination may not be as rigorous as required by the consumer. Another circumstance where such testing is desired is after a disaster, such as a flood or an earthquake, when contamination of water and food is common.
Testing methods are available for the detection of analytes, such as toxins and other contaminants. However, these testing methods are often complicated and are not easily conducted by a lay person.
Therefore, there is a need for an easy-to-use field kit to test for analytes, such as toxins and other contaminants of food. It is also desirable that such a field kit be inexpensive and have the ability to be stored for extended periods of time.